Sleeve for cigarette packs

ABSTRACT

A sleeve for cigarette packs slides over the top of a cigarette pack, covering at least the top 50% of the cigarette pack, with an opening at the top of the sleeve to allow access to the cigarettes in the pack. The sleeve is designed to cover the graphic warning images on the top of a user&#39;s pack of cigarettes, while still displaying their brand&#39;s name and/or their brand&#39;s logo.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to sleeve for cigarette packs and, more particularly, to a sleeve for cigarette packs which slides over the top of a cigarette pack to cover the top 50% of the cigarette pack with a square opening at the top right of the sleeve to allow access to the cigarettes in the pack.

The Food and Drug Administration has mandated that all cigarette packs in the United States manufactured beginning in October 2012 have graphic pictures and illustrations on the top 50% of the front and back of each cigarette pack. These images include such graphic images including diseased lungs, rotting teeth, corpses and the like, which are designed to show consumers the potential health risks of smoking.

Because the FDA graphic warning requirement takes effect in October 2012, for all cigarette packs manufactured for sale in the United States, there are no cigarette pack sleeves on the market which are designed to allow consumers to cover the graphic warning images and preserve the visibility of the brand name and/or brand logo.

As can be seen, there is a need for a cigarette pack sleeve that can block the graphic warning image while retaining the visibility of the brand name and/or brand logo.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a sleeve for a cigarette pack comprises a generally rectangular cylinder having an open end and a closed end, the generally rectangular cylinder sized to fit snug over a top of a cigarette pack; and an opening disposed in the closed end of the generally rectangular cylinder, the opening disposed to align with a region where cigarettes are removed from the cigarette pack, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder has a length sufficient to cover a graphic warning label on the cigarette pack.

In another aspect of the present invention, a sleeve for a cigarette pack comprises a generally rectangular, non-transparent cylinder having an open end and a closed end, the generally rectangular cylinder sized to fit snug over a top of a cigarette pack; and an opening disposed in the closed end of the generally rectangular cylinder, the opening disposed to align with a region where cigarettes are removed from the cigarette pack, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder covers about 50% of the cigarette pack.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a method for partially covering a cigarette pack to cover a graphic warning image disposed thereupon comprises sliding an open end of a generally rectangular cylinder snuggly over a top of the cigarette pack; and aligning an opening disposed in a closed end of the generally rectangular cylinder with a region where cigarettes are removed from the cigarette pack, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder has a length sufficient to cover a graphic warning label on the cigarette pack.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette pack sleeve, disposed on a cigarette pack and used by a user, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cigarette pack sleeve disposed on a cigarette pack; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a cigarette pack sleeve removed from a cigarette pack, illustrating a graphic warning illustration disposed on the cigarette pack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a sleeve for cigarette packs which slides over the top of a cigarette pack, covering at least the top 50% of the cigarette pack, with an opening at the top of the sleeve to allow access to the cigarettes in the pack. The sleeve is designed to cover the graphic warning images on the top of a user's pack of cigarettes, while still displaying their brand's name and/or their brand's logo.

There are currently no cigarette sleeves or cases which have the sleeve design as the sleeve of the present invention, which maintains visibility of a bottom portion of a cigarette pack while covering the graphic warning images along the top of the pack.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, a user 14 can have a cigarette pack 16 from which they withdrawal cigarettes 18. The cigarette pack 16 can include a brand name or brand label region 22 where the brand name or brand label is displayed.

The cigarette pack 16 can include a graphic image warning 20 and a text warning region 24. These warnings 20, 24 can, for example, appear on a front or side portion of the cigarette pack 16, as shown in FIG. 2.

A sleeve 10 can be designed to fit over a top portion of the cigarette pack 16. The sleeve 10 can be sized to cover the graphic image warning 20 and the text warning region 24. Typically, the sleeve 10 is sized to cover at least about 50% of the cigarette pack 16 and often, the sleeve 10 covers about 50% of the cigarette pack 16, thereby covering the warnings 20, 24 while allowing the brand name or brand label region 22 to be seen.

The sleeve 10 can include an opening 12 in a top region thereof. The opening 12 can be positioned to correspond with an opening in a cigarette pack where the cigarettes 18 are removed. Accordingly, when the sleeve 10 is placed over the cigarette pack 16, as shown in FIG. 3, the user 14 can still remove cigarettes 18 from the cigarette pack 16. In some embodiments, an openable cover (not shown) can be disposed over the opening 12, allowing the user to close the opening 12, securing the cigarettes 18 inside the cigarette pack 16. This cover can be opened and closed by the user by means known in the art.

The sleeve 10 can be made from various materials, including plastic, composite, wood, metal, and the like. Typically, the sleeve 10 is made from a non-transparent material so that the warnings 20, 24 on the cigarette pack 16 are blocked from view when the sleeve 10 is placed over the top of the cigarette pack 16.

The sleeve 10 can be sized to fit snugly over the cigarette pack 16 so that the sleeve 10 may be frictionally fitted on the pack to prevent unintentional removal.

The sleeve 10 can be made from various methods known in the art. For example, the sleeve 10 can be made by pouring molten, non-transparent plastic into a mold. When the molten, non-transparent plastic hardens in the mold, the finished sleeve is removed from the mold. The sleeve can then be smoothed of any rough edges by a polishing process, inspected for quality control, and then packaged.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A sleeve for a cigarette pack comprising: a generally rectangular cylinder having an open end and a closed end, the generally rectangular cylinder sized to fit snug over a top of a cigarette pack; and an opening disposed in the closed end of the generally rectangular cylinder, the opening disposed to align with a region where cigarettes are removed from the cigarette pack, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder has a length sufficient to cover a graphic warning label on the cigarette pack.
 2. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder covers about 50% of the cigarette pack.
 3. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder covers at least 50% of the cigarette pack when placed over a top of the cigarette pack.
 4. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder is formed from a non-transparent material.
 5. A sleeve for a cigarette pack comprising: a generally rectangular, non-transparent cylinder having an open end and a closed end, the generally rectangular cylinder sized to fit snug over a top of a cigarette pack; and an opening disposed in the closed end of the generally rectangular cylinder, the opening disposed to align with a region where cigarettes are removed from the cigarette pack, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder covers about 50% of the cigarette pack.
 6. A method for partially covering a cigarette pack to cover a graphic warning image disposed thereupon, the method comprising: sliding an open end of a generally rectangular cylinder snuggly over a top of the cigarette pack; and aligning an opening disposed in a closed end of the generally rectangular cylinder with a region where cigarettes are removed from the cigarette pack, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder has a length sufficient to cover a graphic warning label on the cigarette pack.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder covers about 50% of the cigarette pack.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder covers at least 50% of the cigarette pack when placed over a top of the cigarette pack.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the generally rectangular cylinder is formed from a non-transparent material. 